Automobile bumper



es. 3, 193 5. s JANDUS 2,023,076

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed NOV. 19, 1932 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Application November 19, 1932,Serial No. 643,335

12 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile bumpers.

It is an object of this invention to provide from a bar of substantiallyuniform width throughout its length, an impact bar of varying height.

It is another object of the invention to provide an impact bar having ashape in elevation of substantially a flat oval.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bumper constructionembodying an impact section and a back bar section including meanswhereby the ends of each section are connected to the corresponding endsof the other section in such a manner that such means is substantiallyinvisible from above and the front.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an impact barhaving its foremost portion substantially centrally thereof and ofgreater height than the ends thereof and including means for reinforcingthe ends thereof to compensate for the reduced height thereof.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bumper barwhich is concavo-convex both transversely and longitudinally thereof.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an impactbar having pocket or spoon shaped rearwardly extending terminals forreceiving the ends of the back bar structure.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of an impactbar having a portion throughout its length which is generally verticaland of uniform transverse curvature, and generally horizontallyextending flanges at the ends of the bar, the junctures of the flangeswith the remainder of the bar having the same transverse radius ofcurvature throughout, whereby to facilitate the operations of grindingand polishing the bar.

In carrying out the invention into practice, 40 there is provided a barof preferably uniform width substantially throughout its length butrounded at its ends, and this bar is formed into the shape of a bow, andprovided with flanges of gradually increasing width from points adjacentthe center thereof to the ends thereof. The extremities of the bow arebent rearwardly and then inwardly to form substantially spoonorpocket-shaped terminals for receiving the ends of the back bar and forconcealing the means by which the ends of the respective bars aresecured together. The impact face of the impact bar is formed of uniformtransverse curvature throughout its length to facilitate grinding, andthis is true also of the fillets connecting the impact face of the barwith the rearwardly extending flange portions of the bar.

This construction afiords a bumper having desirable ornamentalcharacteristics both when viewed from the front end from above and whichis at the same time capable of being manufactured with a minimum ofoperations and parts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illus- 1O trated in the drawingand hereinafter more fully described.

. Figure 1 is an elevation of a bumper constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention. 15

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively inthe planes designated by the lines IIIIII, IVIV, V-V and VI-VI in Figure1, the back bar being omitted from Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein the same partsare designated throughout by the same reference characters, an impactbar illustrative of one form which may exemplify the principles of thepresent invention is designated at I. The bar I is initially formed froma flat bar of spring steel of uniform width throughout its length exceptfor its ends which are preferably rounded. The bar preferably is ofshallow concavo-convex shape in cross-section, and has imparted to it byany suitable apparatus such as a cambering machine the shape of a bow.The longitudinal edges from points adjacent the center 2 of the bar Iand of gradually increasing width toward the ends 3 of the bar are bentaway from the convex face of the bar I to form terminals resembling theends of a canoe, that is, rearwardly opening spoon-shaped pockets havingtheir maximum depth at the extremities of the bar and diminishing topoints of disappearance adjacent the center 2 of the bar. As aconsequence of the bending of the longitudinal edge portions 4, thefront face of the bar I is correspondingly reduced in height from thecenter 2 to the ends 3, so that, viewed from the front, the bar I hasthe shape substantially of a flat oval.

The flanges 4 are joined to the intermediate generally vertical portions5 of the impact bar I by fillets 6 which are of uniform curvaturethroughout. The flanges 4 may be fiat as shown or shaped otherwise ifdesired. By virtue of the constant radius of curvature of the fillets 6,it 55 art.

will be apparent that grinding or polishing of each fillet 6 andassociated flange 4 may be effected with a single operation, thegrinding wheel being formed with a fillet of the same radius ofcurvature as the fillets 6.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the proper shaping of thefinished impact bar from the initial blank involves essentially threesimple operations, to-wit: first, imparting to the bar a bow shape;secondly, imparting a spoonlike shape to one end of the bar; andthirdly, imparting a spoon-like shape to the other end of the bar. Byvirtue of the transverse radius of curvature of the generally verticalportion ofthe bar, and the constant transverse radius of curvature ofthe junctures between the generally vertical portion of the bar and theflange portions 4 of the bar, the entire outer face of the bar may beground or polished with a minimum of operations.

The impact bar I may be attached by any suitable means to the horns ofthe vehicle chassis (not shown), such asby the back bar I, which may beof substantially the same thickness as the impact bar, as shown, or maybe of greater or less thickness, as desired. The back bar I may beshaped in any suitable way to accomplish the desired result, and it isshown for illustrative purposes only as provided with forwardlyextending end and central portions 8 and 9,'respectively, and rearwardlyextending portions 10 for attaching the same to the vehicle. The endportions 8 of the back bar 1 are formed longitudinally to conform to thecurved end portions 3 of the impact bar I, and the two sets of endportions are secured together by. any suitable means such as the nut andbolt instrumentalities II. The end portions 8 and the associatedinstrumentalities' ll except the heads l2, which may be ornamental ifdesired, are hidden by the spoon shaped ends 3 of I the impact bar I.Like instrumentalities ll serve to connect the central portion 2 to thecentral part 9 of the back bar I. The back bar I is preferably made ofspring steel and its central arch-like portion l3 serves to cushion thecentral part of the impact bar I.

The bumper construction made in accordance with the principles of thisinvention is thus highly ornamental as well as fully effective forresisting shocks resulting from front and rear collisions, and may bemade by a few simple operations involving low cost. While there isillustrated herein but a single impact bar bumper, it will be understoodthat the principles of the invention are applicable to multi-bar bumpersas well.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by theprior I claim as my invention: 7

1. As an article of manufacture, an impact bar comprising a singleintegral piece of resilient metal having substantially spoon-shaped endportions in the form substantially of pockets extending to pointsadjacent the center of the bar to reinforce said end portions so as tobe substantially non-yielding at the terminals of the bar and arelatively shallow intermediate portion formed to be relativelyyieldable in response means connected to said bar.

3. Bumper construction comprising, as an article of manufacture, animpact bar of resilient material and formed so as to offer maximumresistance to yielding at its ends and gradually di- 15 minishedresistance to yielding from the ends toward the center thereof andbracket means for supporting said bar connected to the rear sidethereof.

4; Bumper construction comprising an impact 20 bar of substantiallygreater height at its center than at its ends, and formed of resilientmetal so as to be yieldable in response to impacts, said ends beingformed as substantially spoon-shaped terminals for concealinglyreceiving a back bar 25 structure and for reinforcing the ends of theimpact bar, the central portion of each terminal being a continuation ofthe central portion of the bar, and the sides of each terminal beingconnected to said central portion of the terminal by 30 fillets ofuniform transverse curvature.

5. Bumper construction comprising an impact bar of substantially greaterheight at its center than at its ends, and formed of resilient metal soas to be yieldable in response to impacts, said 35 ends being formed assubstantially spoon-shaped terminals for concealingly receiving a backbar structure and for reinforcing the ends of the impact bar, thecentral portion of each terminal being a continuation of the centralportion of the 40 bar, the sides of each terminal being connected tosaid central portion of the terminal by fillets of uniform transversecurvature, and said bar, throughout the length thereof, having itscentral portion and the central portions of its terminals 45 of uniformtransverse curvature.

6. The method of forming a bumper bar having a yieldable center part andrelatively rigid impact ends, comprising the steps of forming asubstantially fiat strip of spring steel of substantially uniform widthand bending a marginal portion at a forwardly facing part of each end ofthe strip to form angular terminals without substantially disturbing thecenter part.

7. The method of forming a bumper bar having a yieldable center part andof increasing relative rigidity toward its ends, comprising the steps offorming a substantially fiat strip of spring steel and bendingrearwardly a triangular marginal portion of increasing width endwardfrom and at opposite sides of the center part of the strip.

8. The method of forming a bumper bar in the shape of substantially anarrow oval in front elevation, comprising the steps of forming asubstantially flat strip of spring steel of substantially uniform widthand bending the margins of the end portions of the strip along linesintersecting the edges so as to extend in the same general directionrelative to the remainder of the strip, thereby forming spoon-liketerminals of diminishing depth from the ends toward the center of thestrip.

9. Bumper construction comprising a bowed impact bar having a relativelyyieldable center part and at each of its ends an intermediate outwardlyand rearwardly bent impact portion and upper and lower rearwardlyextending reinforcing portions so as to render said intermediate portionunyielding relative to said center part, resilient cushion bar meanscomprising portions formed for attachment to a vehicle chassis or frameand having forward end attaching portions arranged to be attached to theends of the impact bar, each of said end attaching portions being shapedto conform to the respective intermediate impact portions so as toengagethe same longitudinally throughout a substantial part of its length, andmeans securing said attaching portions to the respective intermediateimpact portions in such engagement so as to enable said cushion barmeans to cushion said intermediate portions against forward and endimpacts and substantially relieve the securing means of stressesincident to such impacts.

10. Bumper construction comprising an impact bar which is substantiallychannel-shaped and rearwardly bent at its ends, resilient cushion barmeans having rearwardly bent ends fitting in the impact bar ends betweenthe flanges of the respective channels, and means passing through thecushion bar ends and the webs of the respective channels for securingthe respective ends together, said ends being in interengagement to asubstantial extent longitudinally on opposite sides of the securingmeans along angularly related areas so as to relieve the securing meansof stresses incident to impacts upon the impact bar.

11. A bumper construction comprising an impact bar formed of resilientmetal so as to be yieldable in response to impacts, the ends of the barbeing formed as substantially spoon-shaped terminals so as to bereinforced and for shieldingly receiving a back bar structure, thecentral portion ingly receiving a back bar structure, the central 20portion of each terminal being a continuation of the central portion ofthe bar, the sides of each terminal being connected to said centralportion of the terminal by fillets of uniform transverse curvature, andsaid bar, throughout the 25 length thereof, having its central portionand the central portions of its terminals of uniform transversecurvature.

HERBERT S. J ANDUS.

